Chicken Kiev is making a comeback! This irresistible garlic butter-stuffed chicken breast is breaded and pan-fried. It’s crunchy with juicy chicken breast, and you’ll love the spurt of hot butter in the center. With my simplified method, it’s easier than ever to pull this off. You’ll enjoy one of the best chicken recipes of your life.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Helpful Reader Review
“For 39 years, I’ve been making Chicken Kiev for my husband’s birthday dinner. I found this one today and made it. Super easy and with his first bite, my husband said, “This is the best ever”. Thank you!” – Barbara Martin ★★★★★
Chicken Kiev
Chicken Kiev (a.k.a. “Chicken Supreme”) is a classic Eastern European recipe from the early 1900’s. It’s been a popular dish for a century, and for good reason! You will savor every bite.
I used to make the traditional Chicken ala Kiev recipe that I learned from my old The Russian Tea Room Cookbook, where you pound the chicken flat before stuff it, roll it up, and refrigerating it before deep frying it for a while, then finishing it off in the oven to ensure your big ball of chicken cooks through. It was quite a process, and I needed to make it easier without losing any of the flavor and crunch – I present to you this Easy Chicken Kiev!
Watch Easy Chicken Kiev Video
I’m sharing all of my tips for making the best Chicken Kiev. My favorite part is slicing through the crisp exterior and seeing that stream of hot lemon-herb and garlic butter that makes the chicken incredibly moist and flavorful – ah, it gets me every time!
That butter is so simple to make, and it is the secret weapon for some of our MOST popular recipes like One-Pan Salmon and Asparagus, Lobster Tails, and Roast Turkey! It’s a truly amazing mix of fresh flavors.
Ingredients for Chicken Kiev
The ingredients for this Chicken Kiev are simple and straightforward, but the finished product is anything but ordinary.
- Chicken – You’ll need three 12oz chicken breasts. Once you cut them in half, you’ll end up with 6 cutlets. You can use precut chicken cutlets and skip the first step of slicing the breasts in half.
- Breading – All-purpose flour, beaten eggs, and Panko bread crumbs. Panko is the best breading for crunchiness, but you can substitute it with regular breadcrumbs in a pinch.
- Extra light olive oil, or Canola oil – both of these neutral, high-smoke point oils are best for frying/sauteeing. Don’t use butter or extra virgin olive oil since they can burn while frying.
- Unsalted Butter – The key is to be sure the butter is at room temperature before mixing.
- Flavors – minced garlic, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper
- Lemon juice – adds bright flavor to the chicken. Be sure to save some lemon wedges to drizzle over the finished chicken
How To Make Chicken Kiev
This simplified Chicken Kiev Recipe comes together in no time! It’s easy, but so delicious.
- Make the Flavored Butter – Mash the butter ingredients together in a medium bowl with a fork. It will take a few minutes to mix, but don’t give up! I’ve had a reader say they used a food processor with good results.
- Prepare the chicken – Cut the chicken breasts in equal halves longways using a thin utility knife. Without cutting through each piece, cut a pocket as widely as you can. Stuff the pocket with the butter mixture and press on the top to spread the butter. Pinch to close the pocket and season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Pro Tip:
If you do accidentally slice through while making the pocket, turn the chicken over and cut a small flap to fold over and seal the hole from the outside. Watch my video above to see this tip in action.
- Make your breading station – Put the breading ingredients into separate shallow bowls or plates. Bread the prepared chicken one by one by dredging in flour, then egg, and then finally Panko, being sure to let excess drip off before moving to the next ingredient.
- Fry Chicken ala Kiev – In a large deep skillet over medium heat, heat a 1/3″ of oil. Add the prepared stuffed chicken breasts in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Fry 4 minutes per side until golden brown and then remove to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- To Serve – Season hot chicken cutlets with salt. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges to squeeze on top.
Pro Tip:
To be sure the oil is ready, drop a breadcrumb into the oil. It should sizzle immediately. You can also use an instant-read thermometer to see when the oil is 350-375°F.
How to Know When Chicken Kiev is Done?
The chicken will cook quickly since it’s thinly cut. Once the breading is browned and crispy, you can test the chicken with an instant-read thermometer to read 165°F and the juices run clear instead of pink.
Can I Make Chicken Kiev in the Air Fryer?
For a lighter version of the dish, swap pan-frying for air frying. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes. Spray the breaded and stuffed chicken lightly with oil (optional) and place in the basket. Cook for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Helpful Reader Review
“This was soooo good. I was actually surprised how flavorful the butter mix inside made the crispy chicken. Only change I made was used part dried parsley and small amount of dried basil (had no fresh parsley) and loved them. I’ve been cooking/baking almost 50 yrs but had never made chicken Kiev and this recipe was great.” – Brenda ★★★★★
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
This simplified Chicken Kiev recipe can be a great dish for dinner parties since it’s simple but impressive. Make the chicken ahead of time and fry when ready to serve.
- Make-ahead: after breading the chicken in step 3, cover with plastic wrap or place into an airtight container. Store in the fridge until ready to fry in step 4. You may have to add a minute to the cooking time.
- To Refrigerate: allow leftovers to cool completely, and then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: once leftovers are cool, wrap each breast individually in plastic wrap or freezer paper. Flash freeze and then place wrapped breasts in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight
- To Reheat: Saute chicken in a tablespoon of oil or air fry until warm.
What to Serve with Chicken Kiev
I have to warn you, this will smell so good you’ll want to dive right in, dipping each bite of chicken into the melted seasoned butter. So delicious!! Chicken Kiev is a versatile protein dish that is complimented by so many sides:
- Mashed Potatoes
- Focaccia Bread
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad
- Roasted Broccoli
- Risotto
- Baked Sweet Potato
- Green Beans Almondine
- German Potato Salad
- Caesar Salad or Maroulosalata
My simplified Chicken Kiev recipe makes this traditional dish easy to make without sacrificing any of the juicy flavors or crunchy texture. The garlic butter-stuffed chicken is quickly pan-fried in just a few minutes and can be served with your favorite sides for a yummy and satisfying meal. Tell me in the comments how you like my version of Chicken Kiev!
Chicken Kiev Recipe
Ingredients
For the Lemon-Herb Garlic Butter:
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, plus more lemon wedges to squeeze over the finished chicken
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more to garnish
- 1/2 tsp salt, we use sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
For the Chicken Kiev:
- 3 large chicken breasts, 12 oz each breast*
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp Salt and Pepper, or added to taste
- Extra light olive oil , or Canola oil, to sauté
Instructions
- Make the Flavored Butter – In a medium bowl, mash together all Kiev butter ingredients with a fork, just until lemon juice is incorporated into the butter. It takes a couple of minutes but it does come together.
- Prepare Chicken – Using a sharp slim knife, cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise, keeping both halves equal in size and thickness. Carefully cut a pocket into the side of each chicken breast as deep and wide as you can go without cutting through the chicken breast* (about a 2"wide x3" long pocket). Stuff each chicken breast with 1 Tbsp of Kiev butter then close the pocket and push over the top of the chicken breast to disperse the butter. Pinch the opening to seal. Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper.
- Make your breading stations – Set up 3 plates for breading: In the first plate, pour 1/2 cup flour. In the second large bowl, beat together 2 eggs. In the third large bowl, pour 2 cups panko crumbs. Dredge chicken in flour, dusting off excess then dip in eggs making sure to get a good egg coating all around and letting any excess egg drip off. Finally, dip into the bread crumbs. Transfer to a platter while forming the remaining chicken Kievs.
- Fry Chicken Kiev – Add 1/4" of oil to a large deep skillet and place over medium heat. Once the oil is hot (350˚F or if you add a bread crumb, it should sizzle), add chicken in a single layer and fry until golden brown (4 min per side- if it browns too quickly, reduce the heat). It's done when it reaches 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer. Repeat cooking the second batch.
- To Serve – Season hot fried chicken with a sprinkle of salt, garnish with fresh parsley, and squeeze lemon wedges over the top, then serve. Be careful of the first spurt of hot butter when you cut the chicken.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Tasty Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Marsala
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Chimichurri Chicken
- Sticky Korean Chicken
- Easy Popcorn Chicken
- Chicken Pesto Rollups
- Chicken Korma
These are wonderful and so much flavor They can be enhanced by serving them on a bed of spaghetti noodles with a brown butter garlic sauce. The sauce goes so well with the lemon garlic butter from inside. Thank you and your husband for all the hard work you both do. Your recipes are phenomenal! and your videos are so helpful.
Thank you so much, Jeff. I appreciate the review and the encouragement. We try to put our best work forward. Thank you for noticing and taking a moment to share.
You should have your own show. I can’t wait to make this with a rice pilaf side.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Rick!
I agree 100%-any recipe I’ve tried is pretty easy and oh so good! Thanks, Natasha
So glad to hear that! Thanks, Carol.
I noticed that you used Japanese Style Panko bread crumbs…can you use reg. or Italian bread crumbs instead…Anxious to try this delicious looking recipe.
Hi Nancy, I’ve always made it with panko bread crumbs, but a few of my readers have made other substitutions successfully.
Hello Natasha. We Love your site. I try to make at least one maybe more recipes over a weekend for us to enjoy. Thank you for sharing your recipes and your pictures with all of us. Loved your vacation picture. 💛 Carolyn
Aww, thank you, Carolyn! You’re so nice and thoughtful with this lovely comment! I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes!
This was a huge hit with my wife and stepdaughter tonight. I served on egg noodles with roasted asparagus and a psuedo caesar salad and a slice of sourdough. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear this was a hit, Jonathan!!
How can I make this dish ahead of time and serve it when company comes?
Hi Patty, These reheat really well :). The spurt of butter isn’t as prominent when reheated but they are still super juicy and flavorful 🙂
Made this for my husband for Father’s Day. Big hit and so easy to make. Another Natasha favorite! Thank you!
That is perfect! I’m glad the recipe was a hit, Erin. Thank you for your review!
Looks fantastic! Could this be done in an air fryer? I may have to give it a try.
Hi Tom, I haven’t tested this in an Air Fryer to advise. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how it goes.
I made this recipe last night. My chicken breast was a little on the small side so I accidentally cut all the way through! conundrum? nope. I cut the chicken into cutlets, breaded and pan fried them and heated the sauce in a separate pan. I just poured the sauce over the cutlets and voila. It was excellent. your recipes are fantastic even when mistakes are made!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m glad it worked out!
yes easy recipes ,i cook that but instead of butter i used cheese ,my kids like that recipes very much .I try your recipies chicken with stuff butter.Thank you Natasha
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
I made this and it was very good! It was easy to make and my wife loved it!
Thank you for sharing that with me, Donald! I’m glad you both enjoyed this recipe.
For 39 years, I’ve been making chicken Kiev for my husband’s birthday dinner. I found this one today and made it. Super easy and with his first bite, my husband said, “This is the best every”. Thank you!
That’s just wonderful, Barbara! I’m so happy you both enjoyed it; I appreciate the excellent review.
Natasha: I first had chicken Kiev in a restaurant in Istanbul at a place reportedly owned by two distant female cousins of Tsar Nicholas. It was super delicious and I have just tried doing it myself (after about 60 years!) I am so grateful for your video (was having trouble with the butter seeping out). Thought you might want to know that the chef had somehow managed to wrap the chicken breast around a bone (looked like the leg bone). When the fork hit, the butter came gushing out. So delicious. Thank you so much for your very helpful video.
Yum! That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing that with me.
I used your recipe to make chicken kiev for the first time and it came out beautifully. Time consuming but easy and delicious. Thank you
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Alice. Thanks for your great feedback!
I just made this tonight for my family and we all loved it! I like that the recipe is easy to follow. I have never fried anything before, so I was nervous it wouldn’t turn out well, but it was delicious. Just a note, I used gluten free flour and gluten free bread crumbs, as my daughter has a gluten intolerance. Very delicious!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
KUDOS to you!GREAT RESULTS! My father [former Soviet Union POW] treated his me to eat at CHICKEN KIEV at The Russian Tea Room, adjacent to Carnegie Hall in Manhattan, NYC.
I enjoyed it tremendously.
YOUR RECIPE & TECHNIQUES were followed by me. FANTASTIC RESULTS!!! Reminded me of Chicken Kiev at The Russian Tea Room, NYC meals I had with my parents. P.S. I added my own, additional dry spices, “just because I had them” and wanted to experiment:
e.g. thyme, turmeric, chives, a “dash” of chile powder. But my efforts would have been a failure without your technique of “cutting a pocket in the side of the chicken breast” in which to place the spiced up cold butter.
By the bye – I melted butter in a small “ice cream scoop” sized bowl over 1″-2″ simmering water and THEN added all my spices to the melted butter.
THEN I placed the bowl of melted butter & spices in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.
The cold, solidified butter with spices was then easily placed INSIDE the cut pocket of the chicken breast. Worked great for me:). Thank you, Natasha! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m an old man that has just recently started cooking, so I am not sophisticated at all. But I know what tastes good. MY wife liked it; my son liked it, but I was so disappointed – because they dont know what it can taste like. I made it faithfully to the recipe, ok, but was sceptical about the lemon. It ruined it! Actually it needed more than that. Needed to be a whole juicy breast, not a half one, and needed to pour out buttery garlic, but didnt. Thanks anyway, but I wont make this again.
Lemon, chicken and butter are a classic flavor pairing. My best suggestion would be to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Also, you might watch the video for techniques in preparing this for the butter not to escape.
Hi Natasha!
I made the Easy Chicken Kiev for lunch this afternoon.
It was simple and so delicious. Love your recipes!
So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe for lunch! Thanks for your great feedback.
Hello Natasha, I love all your recipes and love watching your videos.
Do you have a recipe for Borscht I used to eat it all the time when I was growing up
Thank you looking forward to seeing more of your videos
Hi Vilma! We sure do! You can find the Borscht recipes HERE.
I’m making this for dinner but I don’t have fresh parsley. Can it be subbed with dried parsley flakes or a different seasoning if I can’t find the parsley?
Hi Caroline, we prefer fresh but dried may work also.
I am looking forward to trying the chicken kiev recipe, but was curious about the ‘cook’ time, which shows 16 minutes. Would part of that time be in the oven, because I didn’t find anything in the instructions about oven time. There only seemed to be 4 minutes on each side stovetop, but I didn’t think this would be enough time to cook the chicken thoroughly. Please advise if there is any oven time required and if so, at what temperature. I have enjoyed several of your recipes, so I look forward to making this one as well. Thank you.
Hi Susan, since the chicken is cut in half it is rather thin and cooks faster. We do not put it in the oven for this easy version. Do make sure your chicken reads at 165 to make sure it is safe to eat.